Bleached – Music Hall of Williamsburg – April 11, 2016

Growing up in California’s San Fernando Valley, sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin honed their punk-rock roots at the all-ages DIY venue the Smell. After their all-girl punk group, Mika Miko, disbanded, they resolved to continue their musical collaboration as Bleached, and for their sophomore effort, Welcome the Worms, they escaped to Joshua Tree with famed producer Joe Chiccarelli (Morrissey, the Strokes). Jennifer was recovering from a toxic relationship and Jessie had been evicted from her house. Channeling personal dysfunction, the sisters and bassist Micayla Grace crafted an emotionally charged record full of narratives about broken romances and the vapid Los Angeles scene. Although their foundation is laid firmly in garage rock, Chiccarelli’s production drew out confident melodies that harken back to the Shangri-Las.

Kicking off the week at Music Hall of Williamsburg, the Left Coasters arrived with microphone stands and drum kit adorned with daisies. The ladies rattled off a few from their recent album with the help from touring drummer Nick Pillot. The night was in full throttle with “Keep On Keepin’ On,” while Jen needed to do little coaxing for the crowd to dance along to the thrashing “Sleepwalking.” Stalwart fans were rewarded with oldie but goodie “Searching Through the Past” and the distortion-heavy B-side “Electric Chair.” As if digging into their catalog weren’t enough, the girls covered the Ramones’ “Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World” in true punk-rock fashion.

There’s a resemblance to fellow Californians Best Coast on “Think of You,” but listening to new material like “Sour Candy,” their sound has matured under Chiccarelli’s guidance. There’s no doubt the ladies have stage presence. As Pillot jumped in for a crowd-surfing session, Jen didn’t skip a beat, taking over on the drums for set-closer “Dead in Your Head.” To fully culminate the evening, Zoe Reign, lead singer of the opener, No Parents, joined Bleached for an encore, in which they covered the classic Misfits horror-punk jam, “Hybrid Moments.”—Sharlene Chiu

Going by just his last name, Steven Patrick Morrissey rose to fame fronting the influential alternative English four-piece the Smiths. But following the band’s fourth studio album in four years, the Smiths broke up in 1987 and Morrissey launched his own acclaimed career. His first solo album, Viva Hate (stream it below), arrived a year later. “All by his lonesome self, the Smiths’ founder might be expected to dig into his well-documented obsessions and really wallow. Surprisingly, the wailing soul’s solo debut is a tight, fairly disciplined affair. Viva Hate reveals the talents of its maker: innocent vocal hooks and vivid guitar riffs belie twisted lyrics full of the usual bizarre imagery, provocative observations and campy asides,” said Rolling Stone. Since then, Morrissey (above, performing “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” in Live at the Hollywood Bowl) has remained busy touring and recording—and being outspoken about a variety of topics. The singer-songwriter’s 10th studio album, his first in five years, World Peace Is None of Your Business, came out last summer. “His distinctive take on life remains characterized by a literacy in his lyricism and musicality as influenced by old standards as it is by the subversive punk he came of age listening to,” proclaimed Paste. “With a title like World Peace Is None of Your Business, you know before even diving in this will be Moz in top form.” Coming back to the United States to support the LP, Morrissey plays Madison Square Garden tomorrow night. And as an added bonus, local legends Blondie open the show.

King Krule – Webster Hall – December 4, 2013

Brit Archy Marshall, better known as King Krule, has a voice from another time. Just 19, his baritone vocals transcend his age and recall artists of yesteryear playing in smoky, underground jazz clubs. The title to his debut full-length, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, even invokes the likes of Frank Sinatra or Miles Davis, however in some instances the down-tempo sound disappears into a more classic-rock sound. Sprinkles of Morrissey and Pete Doherty come to mind. Marshall transcends genres from jazz to hip-hop to something called “darkwave.” It’d be a perfect soundtrack for skaters in Tompkins Square Park and its bordering environs as the sun slowly sets and the vices of the night encroach.

At a sold-out Webster Hall last night, a suited-up band assumed their spots as the ginger string bean greeted the crowd with a hearty “Hello, New York!” Opening with “Has This Hit,” Marshall strummed his guitar in an oversized blazer, which exaggerated his youth. He ditched his instrument for “Bleak Bake,” freeing him to gesticulate like an MC. The syncopation on “Ocean Bed” resembled fellow countryman Dev Hynes (Blood Orange, Lightspeed Champion) with its swaying vocal delivery. Cheekily introducing “A Lizard State” as a song about a reptile, King Krule spat lyrics against a Mark Ronson–like backing band sans horns. He even paused mid-song to towel off before finishing the last verse. Front and center, Marshall recited, as if in a poetry slam, the intro to “The Krockadile.”

Fan-favorite “Baby Blue,” which should have been a highlight, was a bit marred by noisy drinkers at the bar. But saving the best for last, King Krule had the audience clapping along to “Rock Bottom,” first-single “Out Getting Ribs” and “Easy Easy.” The latter even generated a mosh pit, which resembled a whirlpool of bodies from the vantage of the balcony. Marshall returned for a one-song encore featuring a new track on the next album, “La Luna,” a final treat to send admirers off into the night. —Sharlene Chiu

Chvrches – Webster Hall – June 17, 2013

Sunshine. Tank tops. Ice cream. Barbeques. Chvrches. All provide a perfect recipe for summer. The latter are a fast-rising electro-pop outfit hailing from Scotland and were the darlings at this year’s SXSW. Although the trio of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook and Martin Doherty only have a singular EP to their names, they announced last Friday that their much-anticipated debut full-length album entitled The Bone of What You Believe will be out in September. Until then, the band has reimagined the theme of Game of Thrones, and they’ll be opening for Depeche Mode beginning next month. Needless to say, the summer’s sizzling for Chvrches.

After two successful sold-out shows at Mercury Lounge in March, the trio graduated to Webster Hall. The anticipation was heightened as the house lights dimmed to welcome Mayberry, Cook and Doherty. The stage was illuminated with a wave of Mayberry’s slender arm as they opened with “Lies.” Amazed by the sold-out crowd, she thought it would be her mom purchasing all the tickets, however Chvrches’ first headlining tour would be a success beyond Mum’s support. The heavy bass on “We Sink” had even the sound technicians in the rafters bobbing in time with the beats. The band effortlessly rattled off “Now Is Not the Time,” recent single “Gun” and “Science and Vision,” in which Mayberry’s vocals were exceedingly chirpy.

Astonished that there were crowd surfers, she sweetly cautioned those in the audience to be safe in her Scottish brogue. Doherty moved from behind his synthesizers to sing new tune, “Tide.” He stomped his right foot wildly to the beats, while delivering lyrics in a Morrissey-like lilt. The dance floor erupted for “Recover” and the final song of the set, “The Mother We Share.” For an added treat, the three returned to encore with a cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U.” Summer may not actually start until Friday, but Chvrches kicked it off last night. —Sharlene Chiu

Jenn Alva (bass) and Phanie Diaz (drums) were best friends with a common interest in Nirvana when they began making punk-tinged music together. But it didn’t completely click until they added Diaz’s younger sister, Nina (vocals and guitar). The trio, named for a Smiths’ tune, toiled away for several years without the attention they deserved until a chance meeting with Joan Jett. She signed Girl in a Coma (above, playing “Knocking on Your Door” for WNYC’s Live on Soundcheck) to her label, Blackheart Records, and their debut LP, Both Before I’m Gone, came out in 2007. The group has since toured with the likes of Social Distortion and Morrissey and released three more discs, including last year’s Exits and All the Rest. See them at The Bowery Ballroom next Wednesday, 7/18.

With a simple “Hey, New York, good evening,” the Courteeners launched into a quick, energetic set last night at the Mercury Lounge. While the room was a fairly even male-female split, the ladies remained the vocal majority throughout—drunk, perhaps, on a combination of St. Patrick’s Day revelry and singer-guitarist Liam Fray’s smooth voice and considerable charm. Although they haven’t even played together for three full years, the Courteeners have a surprisingly polished sound.

The band, in the playful, creative space between releasing its debut album, St. Jude, and readying the next one, played to its strengths, much to the delight of the adoring crowd. Audience members sang along excitedly—and, at times, did all of the singing. And on songs like “Tear Me Apart” (a new one) and “Not Nineteen Forever,” enthusiastic concertgoers pogoed up and down happily. But it was the last song, a cover of fellow Mancunian band James’ “Tomorrow” that really whipped people into a frenzy. As the set came to a close, the warm room was filled with sweaty, smiling faces. And from the back of the room, a girl remarked, “It smells like English people in here.”